Saturday saw a moment of Irish Railway Preservation history when the Q Class 4-4-0 No. 131 steam engine carried passengers out of Dundalk.
Withdrawn from service in 1963, the train sat for years on a plinth at Dundalk station throughout the 70s and early 80s.
Clark Station was thronged with eager onlookers and passengers who turned out to see the engine despite the bad weather.
No.131 was built in February 1901 as part of a class of 13 4-4-0 express passenger locomotives for the Great Northern Railway (Ireland).
The train was used mainly on the routes from Belfast to Clones and Belfast to Derry and throughout her GNR(I) life was rarely seen south of Dundalk.
Following many years of hard work behind the scenes, fully refurbishing the locomotive, No. 131 was cleared to operate on the Iarnród Éireann network for the first time in sixty years.
The train travelled from Connolly station to Dundalk before travelling back to Connolly powered by steam.
The outward journey from Dublin Connolly departed at 12:30 with an IÉ 071 class diesel locomotive for the journey north to Dundalk, passing the beautiful Broadmeadow and Rogerstown Estuaries, crossing the amazing Boyne Viaduct and through the Co. Louth countryside to Dundalk.
On arrival in Dundalk, passengers had just over two hours to explore the town" trying out the many cafés, shops and bars as well as exploring the beautifully maintained Dundalk Clarke railway station and the small station museum.
The highlight of the day was the journey back by steam with Q Class No. 131 for its first ever journey on IÉ lines in 60 years, and along its former owner’s, the GNR(I), mainline to Dublin Connolly (Amiens Street).
Our photographer Arthur Kinahan was there to capture the day.
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